Old Lexus ES 250 Commercial Starring…The Stig?

Stumbled on this old first-generation Lexus ES 250 commercial, or as announcer James Sloyan describes it, “the luxury sedan of sports sedans”: For all his rumored talents, I never would have expected The Stig to be driving ES 250s for Lexus before appearing on Top Gear.
Kevin · April 27th, 2011

Candy Paint Lexus ES 300

Time to turn your speakers off and check out the sweetest Lexus ES 300 you’ll see today: That has to be the most literal interpretation of candy paint that I’ve ever seen. (Apparently, dressing your car like a Jolly Rancher can lead to police trouble.)
Kevin · February 25th, 2011

Lexus ES 300h Hybrid Trademark Registered

Once again, the North American Trademark offices have given us a glimpse into the future, as both Lexus USA & Lexus Canada have filed for the ES 300h trademark (Canadian Trade-Mark 1507011 & U.S. Trademark No. 85193249, both registered on December 8, 2010.) Although it’s hardly a full confirmation, this certainly points to a hybrid …

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Kevin · December 17th, 2010

Matte Black Lexus ES 350 Surprise

The final vinyl wrap of the week also comes with a pretty funny story — but first, check out this matte black Lexus ES 350: As it turns out, Club Lexus member Somebody had his wife’s car vinyl wrapped as a surprise: Material used: one roll of 3M 1080-12M matte black purchased. (the material was …

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Kevin · December 10th, 2010

New Lexus IS & ES Commercials

Two new Lexus commercials have debuted online — one for the IS, the other for the ES — with both commercials focusing on the differences between Lexus models and their competitors. First up is the ES 350, which is once again being taken apart for the cameras: Next up is this commercial for the IS …

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Kevin · October 12th, 2010

Chinese Lexus ES 240 Commercial

Here’s a Lexus ES 350 commercial from China with some great footage of the panoramic glass roof: I’ve said it a thousand times but I can’t resist — that roof is one of my favorite options ever. It takes the ES to a whole other level.
Kevin · September 3rd, 2010

2011 Lexus ES 350 Details

After a minor refresh last year, the Lexus ES 350 is virtually the same for 2011, but for one change — the recommended gasoline rating has dropped to 87-octane: 2011 ES 350 customers will continue to enjoy a smooth and quiet ride as the cost of ownership is reduced.  With the new fuel recommendation of …

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Kevin · July 19th, 2010

Drifting the Lexus ES 350

In what is only the latest automotive craziness to come out of the Middle East, I bring you the drifting Lexus ES 350: I don’t even know if you could call that drifting — more like absolute utter madness. (Totally off-topic, but Starfire Pearl with panoramic glass roof is probably my favorite ever color/option combo.)
Kevin · July 2nd, 2010

Lexus ES 350 with Black & Saddle Tan Interior

Dan Spanu over at Lindsay Lexus sent me a tip about the new Lexus 350 Black with Saddle Tan interior color option — first off, here’s the official shot from the Lexus USA website: What these images don’t really show is just how similar this ES interior is to the new LS Sport interior color …

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Kevin · June 15th, 2010

LA Times Reports on 4th Generation ES Transmission Issues, Lexus Responds

This weekend, the LA Times published another chapter in their long-running battle against Toyota & Lexus, this time asserting that the transmission issues experienced by some 2002-2006 Lexus ES owners was indicative of a bigger problem: The documents show that Toyota repeatedly tried to solve the lurching problem by modifying the car’s computer software. But …

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Kevin · May 24th, 2010

1993 Lexus ES Commercial: Brass Sound

Blast from the past with this 1993 Lexus ES 300 commercial: Reminds me of the ES 350 commercial that was one of Jim Sloyan’s last Lexus voiceovers—can’t help but miss his confident (and smug) tone.
Kevin · December 14th, 2009

Lexus ES 350 & IS 250/350 Recall Extended to Canada

The Lexus ES 350 & IS 250/350 safety recall that was announced in the USA has been extended to Canada. The recall will address the possible risk of unintended acceleration due to improperly installed floor mats by installing a new accelerator pedal and by installing a brake override system that will cut engine power went …

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Kevin · November 27th, 2009

Lexus ES 350 & IS 250/350 Recall Announced

Toyota has announced the recall of the Lexus ES 350 & IS 250/350 models to have their accelerator pedals reshaped and/or replaced. This recall is to be a permanent solution to the risk of unintended acceleration, no matter what floor mat is being used. Starting in early 2010, dealerships will be equipped to reshape the …

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Kevin · November 25th, 2009

Behind-the-Scenes of Lexus ES 350 Slice Commercial

Speaking of “behind-the-scenes” and Lexus ES commercials—here’s a real backstage pass to the work that went into creating one of my favorite Lexus commercials. First, the commercial (in poor quality): Next, here’s the process of creating a real “sliced” ES 350: The lengths that (Lexus USA advertising agency) Team One goes through to get these …

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Kevin · November 12th, 2009

Lexus ES 350 Commercial: 40,000 Hours

Here’s the new commercial for the 2010 Lexus ES 350: This commercial stays with the look of the latest LS commercial, and has a “behind-the-scenes” feel. Not sure I believe that’s what the Lexus test-facilities look like, though. (A note: I recently spotted a 2010 ES at my local dealership, and was pleased to see …

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Kevin · November 12th, 2009

Lexus Temporary Safety Recall Solution Announced

A temporary solution to the ongoing safety recall affecting the Lexus ES 350 & IS 250/350 has been announced—according to Automotive News, zip ties will be used to hold down the floor mats until a permanent solution is ready: “We have reviewed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration what we’re calling a semipermanent floor …

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Kevin · October 8th, 2009

Lexus ES & IS to be Recalled over Floor Mats

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has issued a recommendation that 2007-2010 Lexus ES 350 & 2006-2010 Lexus IS 250/IS350 owners remove their drivers side floor mat, which may cause the accelerator to become stuck open under certain conditions: “This is an urgent matter,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “For everyone’s sake, we strongly …

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Kevin · September 29th, 2009

2010 Lexus ES 350 Official Information

Full information and photos of the refreshed 2010 Lexus ES 350 have been released—here’s a breakdown of the changes: Both the front and rear lights have been revised, along with a new front bumper, new foglights, a new grille. Chrome side molding has also been added. The new-look Lexus side mirrors with integrated turn signals …

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Kevin · September 18th, 2009

2010 Lexus ES 350 Official Photos

The finalized 2010 ES has been revealed by way of the Lexus China website—let’s start off with some exterior photos: The changes, as far as I can see: New front bumper and foglights New head lights & tail lights Chrome Side strip Rear view mirrors with integrated turn signals On a whole, the exterior changes …

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Kevin · September 14th, 2009

2010 Lexus ES 350 Revealed!

The scheduled refresh of the 2010 Lexus ES 350 has been revealed by way of a dealership in Taiwan—here are the spy shots and some shots of the current ES 350 for easy comparison (click the spy shots for a larger version): The changes center around the front end, where the grille, bumper and headlights …

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Kevin · August 11th, 2009

Lexus ES 240 to be Sold in China

In order to boost slowing sales in China, Lexus will be introducing a 2.4L four-cylinder ES model: From January to April, the sales of imported passenger cars in China increased 16% from a year earlier, with Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi and Lexus rising 1.5% together. But of the four luxury brands, Lexus saw its sales drop …

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Kevin · July 2nd, 2009

Michael Bay’s Lexus ES 330 Commercial

Loud, blurry and preposterous, this Lexus ES 330 commercial by Michael Bay would fit neatly into any one of his movies (jump to 1:02 to see the Lexus commercial directly): Somehow I doubt an airbag is going to save you from being hit by a tractor trailer.
Kevin · March 23rd, 2009

Canadian Driver Reviews the Lexus ES 350

The Lexus ES 350 doesn’t get a lot of play, particularly with it in the third year of its design cycle, but this Canadian Driver review of the 2009 model is worth noting, as it manages to capture the ES’ appeal and includes a previously unheard (and likely untrue) rumor: The 2009 model retains the …

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Kevin · March 23rd, 2009

Lexus ES Commercial: Touch

I noticed earlier this week that Lexus was featuring the ES 350 heavily on their US site, and it seems to have extended to TV as well:
Kevin · March 21st, 2008

Lexus ES & RX Pebble Beach Commercial, plus Pricing

Two pieces of Lexus Pebble Beach news today, first off, the much searched-for Pebble Beach commercial has surfaced on Youtube: Not much to the commercial, it’s strictly an announcement-style advertisement, but the Pebble Beach edition color really catches my attention. It’s nice to see it on more than just the SC 430. The other news …

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Kevin · March 14th, 2008

Pebble Beach Editions for the Lexus ES, RX and LS Models

Once solely reserved for the SC 430, Lexus announced today at the Chicago Auto Show that three more models will be available in the Pebble Beach Edition. It starts with the release of a PBE RX 350 in mid-February, followed by an ES 350 in March and a LS 600hL sometime in the fall. Here’s …

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Kevin · February 6th, 2008